MISHAWAKA, Ind. – The Spring Arbor University women's volleyball team defeated Bethel University 3-0 on the road Saturday afternoon, using 10 service aces and eight blocks to earn its second straight victory.
The Cougars won 26-24, 25-17, 25-16 to improve to 18-10 overall and 10-7 in the Crossroads League. SAU sits fourth in the conference standings with one match remaining in the regular season. Bethel dropped to 10-22 overall and 3-14 in league play.
Keely Hinzman led Spring Arbor with 10 kills on a .353 hitting percentage and added five blocks, including two solo stops.
Iyla Weeks contributed eight kills, while
Isabelle Kirkendall finished with five kills and eight digs.
Gianna Kanitz fueled the Cougars at the service line with five aces and added seven assists.
Camy Wedge recorded 18 assists and seven digs, and
Palmer Fortress anchored the back row with 16 digs.
Julia Mitchell contributed four block assists.
Spring Arbor fought off a set point in the opener to take an early advantage. Trailing 24-23, Weeks delivered a kill before Kanitz served consecutive aces to seal the 26-24 win.
The Cougars opened the second set with five straight points. Later, a five-point run stretched an 11-9 lead to 16-9, giving SAU the separation it needed to take a two-set advantage.
Spring Arbor took control of the third with a nine-point run that turned a 14-9 lead into a 23-9 cushion. Hinzman contributed a solo block and a block assist during the stretch, while Wedge capped the run with an ace.
SAU held Bethel to a .047 hitting percentage, including a negative mark in the final set. The Cougars hit .191 and finished with advantages in kills (35-30), digs (45-39), aces (10-5) and blocks (8-2).
Spring Arbor closes the regular season Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Goshen College. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
